September 22, 2003	Monday	Rajab 24, 1424

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JACOBABAD, Sept 21: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Sunday ruled out the possibility of dissolution of assemblies or fresh elections and cautioned people spreading rumours in this regard, saying they should keep in mind better working relations between the president and the government.

He said this while speaking at a reception hosted by Justice (Retd) Abdul Razzaq Thaheem.

The government’s top priority, he said, was to serve the people through launching development schemes.

Urging the people to strengthen the government,he said that the government had released Rs200 million for clean water for Jacobabad, adding that funds amounting to Rs350 million had also been released to the National Highway Authority for completing work on the Dera Allahyar-Jacobabad bypass project.

He announced a village electrification scheme, providing power to 50 villages in Nasirabad, Dera Allahyar and Jacobabad districts besides announcing a scheme for provision of natural gas to 50 villages of the area.

Criticizing the past governments, he urged the people to caste their vote in favour of Mir Asghar Khan Panhwar in the forthcoming district Naib Nazim election.

The Prime Minister also announced provision of funds for the construction of the Circuit House, Jacobabad.

On the occasion, PPP MNA Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Mohammad Muqeem Khan Khoso, Sardar Saleem Jan Mazari and other splinter groups announced to support Mir Asghar Khan Panhwar.

Our Sukkur correspondent adds: While talking to the delegations of Nazims, Naib Nazims and politicians at the circuit house, Jacobabad, Prime Minister Jamali said that the protecting the country’s sovereignty took precedence over everything else for the government.

He said that the government was concentrating its efforts to provide relief to the people, adding that the government was trying to improve its relations with other political parties in this regard.

Referring to the government’s dialogue with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Mr Jamali said that the talks were part of the government’s efforts to run the parliament smoothly, expressing the hope that the issues of the Legal Framework Order and the president’s uniform would be resolved very soon.

The prime minister said that the government’s efforts regarding the unification of five factions of the Pakistan Muslim League had been successful.

Praising efforts of the Pir Pagara, he said that he had played a crucial role in this regard.

Reposing the confidence in the leadership of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the prime minister expressed the hope that PML-N would also join hands with the unified Muslim League very soon

He said that the party’s reunification had annoyed the government’s opponents and that was why they were spreading rumours about the dissolution of the government.

Our Quetta correspondent adds: Prime Minister Jamali expressed the hope that the MMA would repsond positively to the government’s constitutional package for the smooth running of the democratic system in the country.

Speaking at a public meeting in Dera Murad Jamali on the occasion of distributing canola seeds among the growers affected by recent rains and floods, the prime minister said that the balls was now in MMA’s court, adding that they should react positively in this regard.

Dispelling reports about discontinuation of the government- MMA talks, he said that negotiations had not been interrupted, adding that they would reach fruition in the larger interest of the country.

Urging the members of the alliance to show more flexibility, Prime Minister Jamali said: “Negotiation with the MMA (on LFO) are not over and process continues (uniterrupted).”

“I am hopeful that the government and the MMA will succeed in reaching at a consensus on the proposed constitutional package very soon,” he said.

Dispelling the impression that the government was not interested in resolving the LFO issue, Mr Jamali said that the government was holding talks with the opposition with utmost sincerity and wanted to resolve the issue, enabling the democratic process to continue unhindered.

Mr Jamali said: “We will (ensure the) smooth runnning of the democratic institutions at any cost.”

Referring to the growers’ problems, the prime minister said that the federal government was taking steps to provide relief and in this regard the government had postponed the recovery of agricultural loans for one year.

Warning officials of the Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan, he said that strict action would be taken against officers if they did not change their attitude towards farmers.